The Lady Craved Excitement

This is a little low budget comedy-mystery based on a popular BBC radio series. Oddly named Hy Hazell stars as the title character, a music hall performer who, with partner and boyfriend (and co-star) Michael Medwin, blunders willfully into the criminal escapades of a trio of crooks. The boyfriend, the club owner, and Scotland Yard have all had their fill of her constant attempt to solve crimes, but this time she truly does. The comedy is sub-standard, woefully predictable stuff, and nobody really makes an impression. Medwin is a familiar face from many English comedies. Andrew Keir, later a robust and effective character actor in many films (Hammer films especially) makes his film debut here and he's fine, although virtually unrecognizable behind a beard and about fifty pounds thinner.

Made by Hammer Films before they started their profitable horror films.At this moment time they were making quota quickest which were low on quality and entertainment.The studio they are using is so small that there isn't room to swing a cat.Although there is a very reasonable cast it can safely be said that they would all go on to far better work.Sid James has a small part and has a truly awful Italian accent.Everyone overcast as if their lives depended upon it.There may have been worse quota quickness but they would have to be truly awful to compete with the total lack of quality displayed by this film.

This is a very poor comedy mystery, starring Hy (short for "Hyacinth") Hazell and Michael Medwin as a pair of cabaret entertainers who get mixed up in a sinister plot when Andrew Keir walks into the club and asks Miss Hazell to model for a picture of Anne Boylen. It's based on a BBC radio serial, created by Edward Mason, who also helped devise "Dick Barton", "What the Butler Saw" and the never-ending "The Archers". All but the last were filmized by Hammer about this time.

The performances are big and hysterical, casting no glory on the leads, despite the fact they were all capable performers. This one is definitely a quota quickie and no better than it ought to be. Unless you wish to see good performers when they were younger and much worse, this is one you can avoid.